


Rock the Princess

by WolfjawsWriter



Category: Lockwood & Co. - Jonathan Stroud
Genre: And that is dangerous, Anthony Lockwood is a rock singer, Break Up, Breaking Up & Making Up, Bullying, Declarations Of Love, F/F, F/M, I upload whenever I have a chapter, Inspired by Music, Its easy to loose yourself in the thrill, Lots of dates, Lucy is a graphic designer, M/M, NSFW eventually, Neither is a celebrity's, Original Character(s), Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s), Past Sexual Abuse, Past Violence, Quill is a bully, Quill is a dick, Rockstar AU, Skull has a boyfriend, Skull is gay, Songs, The Skull is the best friend in the world, The life of an artist isn't easy, This story went through some serious changes, no posting schedule
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2020-05-14 06:33:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19267762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfjawsWriter/pseuds/WolfjawsWriter
Summary: People say you should never meet your heroes, but they never tell you why. Its because once you meet them you realize; they’re nothing more than humans. They can err. They can stray. They can sin. And they can love.After an eventful night out, after discovering a new passion, after meeting what could be the perfect man, and after finding out that he too keeps his broken self a secret from the world he knows, Lucy finds out that if there really is one thing that can help calm a restless mind, fill an empty soul, and heal a broken heart, it’s the melody of love.





	1. Welcome to the Black Parade

“You said it was a violin concert!”

 

“It is! It just isn’t  _ only _ a violin concert”

 

“You lied to me!”

 

“Slightly deceived and for your own good, excuse you”

 

I huffed angrily and crossed my arms over my chest, ignoring the laugh of my best friend beside me. I swear if it wasn’t that he was currently driving I would have strangled him till he turned blue and then I would have given him some minutes to regain his breath so that I could strangle him once more until he outright turned purple, and once more-

 

“You’ll see it’ll be totally worth it” Skull smirked naughtily. To my dismay I couldn’t find anything witty to retort with, so I limited myself to glaring out the window, looking at the people that stood outside in the street.

 

The car was currently standing almost still a few blocks away from the newest, biggest outdoors theater in the city; The Bluebell Garden Amphitheater. The streets were filled to the brim with people, all of which were dressed with black jeans and pants, some with bright colored shirts  _ (the rest with black) _ and a lot of them with leather jackets or hoodies, most of them in black as well. 

 

“I really doubt it” I grumbled sharply.

 

“You’ll change your mind as soon as it starts”

 

“I’ll look ridiculous! You could have told me about the dress code for the concert!”

 

“But you would have had suspected the scam” He tapped his forehead. I tried to growl angrily at him, but what I wished to be a loud threatening bear-like snarl actually came out like the sound an angry Pomeranian dog would make while yapping at its owner’s ankles. He still grinned brightly and took one hand off the steering-wheel and used it to pinch my cheek “oh, you’re so scawy, aren’t you?” He taunted with a goofy voice.

 

Swatting his hand away, I crossed my legs and looked out the window again. Soon enough we weren’t among the traffic anymore and Skull had parked the car a block away from the theater. He stepped out of the car and came out to my side, opening the door for me, but of course, not out of generosity. He failed to drown a snicker behind his hand as he looked at my outfit.

 

“come on Lucy, you’ll see a change of scenery is all you need to tap to life that spark of yours” He offered me a hand.

 

“I don’t know, Skull. I’m really not in the mood for this…”

 

“You haven’t been in the mood for anything for the past month, not even pizza and movies! You’ve been bitchy in the ‘Mean Girls’ type, which we both know is not cool and I’m done with it, so you’re coming with me into that theater and we’re both going to have a great time!”

 

“Alright, alright, I’m coming, geez” I got out of the car and walked beside him the remaining block to the theater. As we did, I avoided looking at any of the people that stood on the street, for I was sure that if I did I would catch them commenting on my appearance. 

 

Having been told we were attending a violin concert, I had made sure to select the most appropriate clothing for the occasion, meaning I was wearing the best dress I owned; a sleeveless, white knee-length satin and tulle dress with shiny rhinestones around the waist, a pair of heels I had been sure I’d be able to put up with since classical concerts never had their audience standing, and a small and simple necklace around my neck. Skull on the other side wore a V-neck black tee with a huge coat-collared leather jacket, open from the front and with a stitched design on the back, skinny black jeans and an old, red and black checkered shirt tied around his slender waist. Quite a change from the usual way he looked- because deep inside him he actually knew how to pick a proper outfit, he was just too lazy on the daily to actually dress nicely.

 

Personally I would have turned around right this moment and gone back to our apartment  _ (we’re also roommates besides best friends) _ , but that would be if I didn’t knew he had gotten the best places of the whole theater for us. Or more like, his boyfriend had gotten us the ‘Supreme Deluxe’ tickets, which were more pricey than a whole year of our apartment’s rent.

 

I looked up at the giant banner that hung outside the amphitheater, apparently with the band’s logo- a golden yet blood-splattered crown with three square sapphires and three inverted heart-shaped emeralds and a bloodied rapier that stood point-down inside the crown - and name in big cursive letters,  _ ‘Villains and Kings’ _ beside it. I realized with a start it was the exact same logo stitched to the back of my best friend’s jacket and that was stamped on most of the people’s shirts.

 

“Come on Lu” Skull guided me inside the theater where a man from security, typically dressed in black, a small intercom device on his ear, lead us through the divided zones of the theater, all of which were marked with glow-in-the-dark tape on the floor. He took us to the section closest to the stage, right in front of it in fact, and the other guests of the concert greeted us like if they were our old friends, even though I had never even seen them before.

 

Moments later the silence grew inside the amphitheater and the lights were turned off. We were all consumed by darkness for a few seconds before a spotlight appeared on the right side of the stage. A single man stood there, dressed in clothes as vibrant as his fiery red hair - a white dressing shirt that was sadly opaqued by a long cherry-red coat that swished gently around him in a light breeze which’s origin I couldn’t identify, and long cherry-red slacks with designs of pink and orange flowers on them. 

 

I had never had an eye for fashion, that was usually noticeable by the way I dressed, but even I could see that that outfit was a crime - an atrocity, a felony, a violation - against all good fashion, and that the designer, the tailor, or whoever chose that outfit for the man would be having an audience with some High Council of Proper Clothing.

 

The man held in his hands what appeared to be a black violin, although it lacked almost the entire body of the instrument; it was only the fingerboard, bridge, fine-tuners, and tail piece, and what was seemingly the Bout’s contours, but all the wood that would have been in it was completely missing. A cable extended from the instrument, and soon the theater was engulfed in a somber, slow violin solo.

 

Skull grinned smugly and nudged me playfully, “Told you there’d be a violinist”

 

Just seconds later another spotlight was turned on on the left side of the stage and someone else appeared on the stage; a woman standing behind an electric keyboard. Unlike the man before her, she actually appeared to have someone supervising her wardrobe, but that someone might as well have been a funerary worker - while her clothes were obviously stylish and most probably new, they were all black. Black sneakers and high-waist jeans, black blouse although the neck was white, and leather jacket, with a little too many zippers reflecting the light, a black hat on top of her head and even shades. Why would she be wearing shades in a concert at 11 pm was beyond me.

 

The music took a sharp turn when she joined in that lasted barely a second before it returned to its relatively quiet complexion.

 

Two more spotlights were turned on at the same time after hers, two more musicians appearing - a drummer and a guitarist - the crowd cheering louder with every newcomer member. Their sense of fashion was much more saner as well, black dungarees and red hoodie for the guitarist and what seemed to be a thighs-long black shirt and leggings with black lace on the drummer’s arms. 

 

The song continued with them for some moments, the instruments slowly building some sense of dread…

 

Suddenly all the spotlights were turned off. The theater was submerged in total darkness. My hand grasped blindly beside me, grabbing Skull’s arm as he cheered and whooped excitedly. The people around us began chanting loudly, my friend joining them in no time, but I couldn’t understand what they said.

 

A new figure appeared on the darkened stage “ _ Wait inside the darkness, the sign will soon come out”  _ I couldn’t help the shudder that travelled down my spine. That voice…so dark, deep…mystical…  _ “Heed my warning, there’s no coming back” _ My eyes searched the stage for anything that could reveal the image of the newcomer  _ “Sacrilege! Find your weapon and pledge an oath,” _ I felt the drum’s and the guitarist’s dread-filled music curl around my muscles, my body tensing  _ “FOR THE QUEEN-” _

 

“-HAS FALL AT LAST!”

 

The stage was enlightened once more. The violinist went insane, fingers dancing at a crazy speed on the instruments neck and moving the bow incredibly fast. The guitar’s frequency went at least one octave higher. The drummer and the keyboardist played wildly, making the song acquire a new melody, much more richer and dynamical. 

 

But that didn’t matter. The sounds around me mixed and blurred into noise without meaning. The cheering of the crowd merged together with the music of the band and became nothing in my ears, the sound of the singer’s voice disappearing as well.

 

I couldn’t hear anything around me as I looked at  _ him _ . Him in all his divine glory - the pose he stood in, the way the light made him shine on the stage, the markings of tattoos on his strapping arms, the way his tight black leather trousers hugged his muscular legs, his strong, well defined abs glistened under the lighting, his longish hair swept aside from his face- I placed a hand on top of my mouth to make sure I wasn’t drooling.

 

_ “THE NEW KING-” _

 

“-WILL RULE FOREVER!”

 

The sound of the crowd around me crashed on top of me as well as the band’s music. I felt the hysterical vibes of the concert once more and it filled me in seconds, spreading inside me like a wildfire and making me cheer along the crowd.

 

“Thank you, London!” The vocalist greeted the crowd with a wide grin, wiping off some sweat from his forehead. A heavy blush flooded my face as I watched with intent absorption as the powerful muscles of his athletic arm wiped his forehead. Goodness, those biceps were…all of him was otherworldly! His slender and strong figure, tall and imposing on top of that stage, commanding the attention of all lookers “thank you! Its great to be finally back! We’ve missed this city and all our fans in it so very much!”

 

Someone standing way back for me to see or hear yelled something, and for a moment I considered turning around and yelling back at them for disrespecting the obvious Adonis standing before us, but my newfound idol smirked amicably at them.

 

“I know, I know, you all didn’t came here to listen to me be sappy, you came here to listen to some real music!” The crowd cheered loudly once more “just let me introduce my folks, alright? Cause otherwise they get sensitive” He pointed at the right side of the stage and all the spotlights were turned off except the one on top of the violinist “first up!” The vocalist spoke on the microphone like he was the announcer of some boxing ring “He graduated with Honors from the Royal London Music Academy! He has played for people that make more in a month than all of us combined in a year! He has single-handedly taken down more hogs than I can remember! His peers think him mad! But now he will show them! My best friend in all the world! My brother! My wingman! The Mage; QUILL KIPPS!”

 

I saw the redhead violinist look up with an indignant look and squawked “Wingman?!” He raised his middle finger at the singer. The crowd all around me yelled wildly, most of them letting out overjoyed and lewd screams that, from my place right before the state, I could see made the man blush slightly. Then his spotlight was turned off and another one turned on on the left side of the stage.

 

“NEXT UP! She has berated me about inappropriate lyrics more times than I care to count! She has told me that not wearing a shirt during concerts will get me sick but I’ve never listened to her! She has tried to get us all to diet more often but we still don’t listen to her! She loves us dearly and has our best intentions at heart which is why we love her! The smartest! The greatest! The fairest of them all! The Fae; HOLLY MUNRO!”

 

The woman scowled playfully in the direction of the singer for a moment, before looking at the excited crowd and giving a friendly smile, waving her hand happily. It was hard to believe she looked so peaceful when a moment ago she was playing her keyboard like a madwoman. 

 

“Our third member!” The keytarist’s spotlight was turned off again and the one of the back, directly on top of the drummer, was turned on “She’s not a woman of many words, but when she opens her mouth she will make you eat your-“ I frowned as he stopped the introduction for a few seconds before he talked annoyedly again “oh for heaven’s- will it kill you to stand up for  _ thirty seconds?! _ I swear to god you drummers have it easy, you get to sit through the entire concert!” I wasn’t sure he was aware that he was still talking to the microphone, but his voice was loud enough to be heard in the farthest corners of the amphitheater so he must have known. The woman behind the drums stood up, but even from my place before the stage I couldn’t see her clearly enough other than to confirm my suspicions about her clothing “She can and will bring the full force of the Wrath of God onto you if you make her mad! Able to bring down all men pleading to her feet! The unpredictable! The Queen of the River! The Witch; FLO BONES!”

 

She made a gesture at the crowd, all who applauded enthusiastically before she sat down once more. Once again the spotlight was turned off and turned on over the guitarist. 

 

“And before we get to the best part, our fourth member! He comes from a long family of talented musicians and is here to break patterns! From the most fashionable corner of Italy! With a rather questionable fashion sense himself! The heart of this band! The kindest! The Knight; NOAH BLACK!”

 

The tall man with the red and black electric guitar in his hands waved at the people happily, a gleaming smile on his face. He had a rather cute face, a childish expression and round cheeks, as well as radiant eyes. I would have probably thought he was a kid among adults if he wasn’t as tall as he actually seemed to be. Perhaps it was only the angle in which I was seeing him, but he did appeared to be pretty tall, like the vocalist was.

 

“And finally!” The whole theater was thrown into darkness again, just like it did before the vocalist appeared “Our last member! The founder of your favorite band! The best singer this world has ever seen! The great! The most handsome! The wonderful! ALL HAIL-”

 

“-PRINCE ANTHONY LOCKWOOD!”

 

_ “WE ARE VILLAINS AND KINGS!” _ The vocalist roared  _ “AND THIS IS ‘CRIME OF THE QUEEN’!” _

 

The band blasted back to life, giving the audience no time to prepare for when the drummer and the violinist went mad once more. I found myself yelling along the crowd, cheering for the band in a mad haze, my arms high in the air. I didn’t knew the lyrics of any of their songs, unlike the rest of the people around me, but I still sang along with everyone. 

 

And I felt better. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I was truly better. Relaxed.  _ Inspired _ . 

 

The energy that blasted through the vivacious thrumming of the drums, the abounding power that shoot out of the guitar and the violin, the fierce intensity of the keyboard. The upbeat roaring of the singer. It all brought images to my head - vibrant images, lively scenes, vivid illustrations - all of which I knew, I was sure, I had to bring to life once I got home!

 

The artist block I had been feeling for weeks disappeared.

 

I found myself completely snared by the concert from the first song. The vocalist, the Adonis, the demigod before me sang the lyrics of every song with a passion I had never seen. He danced along to the music, his toned chest, abs and hips alluringly moving before me in a way that would put belly-dancers to shame, gleaming with a light sheen of sweat. My eyes would never leave him, roaming his enticing body up and down, making me feel like a snake coming out of its basket to the sound of its master’s hypnotic flute. 

 

He would sometimes make the audience sing the lyrics for him, pointing the microphone at the people, or some other times he would step back and let the other band members make small solos in the songs. In that moment though, he ran to one side of the stage, crouched, hand extended so he could touch the outstretched hands of his fans, high-fiving them. 

 

My hand was raised before me without me realizing I did. It all happened too quickly - was here and gone rapidly. His hand, big and warm despite having the cold microphone in it a moment ago, touched mine, a swift ‘slap’ against my small hand. He smiled brightly at the people on the first row as he passed…then his grin faltered as his eyes fell upon me.

 

Even as he kept the run, his eyes still rested glued upon me, a little wider than they were before, no longer holding that mischievous glint they had when he danced on the stage but one that talked of a child’s curiosity- then he tripped against one of the lights protruding from the stage. He didn’t actually fell off the stage, pretty much thanks to a miracle, but his sudden fall made the crowd gasp. The vocalist was back to his feet with a second, grinning at the crowd once more.

 

But  _ ‘He…he  _ noticed _ me…he actually noticed me’ _ and my blood ran away from all the veins of my body and accumulated on my face, a squeal of glee resting just behind my lips, threatening to come out. True, I might have also almost caused him a concussion, but not all details are necessary, are they?

 

The rest of the concert went on just as amazing as it started, pumping as much energy on the last songs as it did on the first ones, the crowd still singing loudly along the music. My throat hurt badly from yelling along the rest of the people, but right now I really didn’t care. Goodness, I could barely remember a time I felt more  _ alive _ .

 

As the band began the last song of the album, an arm suddenly wrapped around my shoulders and I found myself pulled against Skull’s side, his head down beside mine as he leant down.

 

“Sooo…what are your thoughts so far?” He said smugly into my ear.

 

“I’ll admit I had my doubts about your musical tastes”

 

“You sure have been paying attention” He chuckled huskily beside my face, his hot breath tickling my neck and making me shiver slightly. 

 

“I- I don’t know what you’re talking about”

 

“Ha! Like hell you don’t! You’ve been ogling him all concert long!”

 

“What?! No I haven’t!”

 

“Hey, relax Lu! You’re not the only one that does” his hand caressed my shoulder, something he usually tried to do and I would always shrug him away, but today…right now, I didn’t “Everyone here’s practically just to see him strut about half naked”

 

I looked at him, at his smug, teasing look and for once the fighting spirit inside me didn’t found it in it to bite back at him with some witty response. Instead, I blushed brightly and looked away. 

 

“…ohhh, his got you bad, hasn’t he?”

 

I gave him no answer.

 

“I’ll take that as a yes”

 

“…its not. It’s just the…the thrill of the moment, yes! I’m just excited for the music, and the…eh, the…”

 

“Lies. You like him”

 

“I do not!”

 

“Yes you do”

 

“I don’t!”

 

“You can’t fool me Lu, I know you like the back of my hand and more-”

 

“Oh god, what does that mean?”

 

“-The point is, I know you like him” 

 

I limited myself to keep my eyes on the floor “well- I mean, his just…his…”

 

“Hot?”

 

_ Alluring. Bewitching. Charming. Desirable. Enamoring-  _ “Pleasant to the eye”

 

“Just ‘pleasant to the eye’?”

 

“Yes, just that”

 

“Oh, okay” 

 

He straightened up again and I looked up at him, blinking in shock. “That’s it?”

 

“Yeah”

 

“It can’t be” He turned so I could see him fully.

 

“Well I mean…nah, forget it, its not important”

 

“Tell me!”

 

“What for? This is only for those who truly think his hot-”

 

I growled and scrunched up my nose “fine, I do find him handsome, okay! I do like him, his really hot, so much my lady parts are burning right now! Content now you monster?!”

 

Skull smirked widely, leaned back down so his head was beside mine again and whispered “would you like to…kiss him?”

 

My face exploded into a furious blush once more. My mouth went dry. The next few words that attempted to come out of my mouth were nothing more than high-pitched squeals and squeaks.

 

“You’re bluffing” I finally cheeped. He raised his eyebrow at me, so pompously I wished I could have slapped the expression off his face, but I was much too flustered. 

 

“…am I?”

 

I looked away. He had to be lying. Deceiving me. It couldn’t possibly be true that a man, as perfect and handsome and suave and majestic- could ever kiss a girl like me. But…but then again, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! It could be true! …but of course, it wouldn’t come without a price…

 

“What do you want?”

 

The widening of his smirk should have been enough warning for me.

 

“We’ll watch the whole Dark Night Demons Trilogy”

 

“Oh- no! No, no way Skull! You know I don’t like them!”

 

“I suppose you don’t want him to kiss you then”

 

“I do!”

 

“Then you’ll watch the movies with me?” What I hoped to be an angry vicious-like growl came out more like a little purring.

 

“…fine”

 

“Alright then! I’ll need you to trust me on this one, cause I’ll have to call in a few favors for this and if it’ll go to waste then I won’t do it”

 

“Just…tell me what I have to do”

 

He patted my shoulders “You just raise your hand when the time is right”

 

“What?” But when I turned around, Skull wasn’t beside me anymore. He was fully gone in fact, just like a ghost would, with not even a trace of his current whereabouts. I huffed frustratedly. Just what was he planning? What crazy stunt was he about to pull into motion to get me this kiss he talked about? 

 

“-THANK YOU SO MUCH LONDON!” My attention was called back to the stage as the last song finally ended “ITS BEEN A DELIGHT TO BE HERE!”

 

Everyone cheered loudly, and then, starting from the back and making its way quickly to the front like a wildfire spreading, the people began to chant loudly.

 

_ “KISS THE PRINCE! KISS THE PRINCE! KISS THE PRINCE!” _

 

The vocalist blinked at the crowd for a second, confused for half of it, before smiling again, almost apologetically. 

 

“Ah yes, of course folks! How incredibly silly of me to forget! We can’t finish with this tour’s last concert without giving the Prince’s Kiss!” The crowd around me went wild “now…lets see who our lucky guy or girl will be?”

 

I noticed that, even though everyone in the amphitheater was yelling crazily to call the attention of the Adonis before us, I could barely hear them. And when I looked around to see why I felt like the crowd was so far away, I found myself standing in the middle of a wide circle. The people around me, including Skull, had all stepped away. 

 

“Raise your hand!” He hissed at me. I blinked, baffled. My hand raised, almost on its own accord, before I had processed his words. Would this work? I hoped it would, but I couldn’t be sure. There were thousands to people in the theater, would he notice me among all of them? Even though I was practically before him, I could see him searching farther into the sea of people that I stood in. Was I too close? Was I too small? Would his eyes find me here? Probably not, and yet…his eyes landed on me again.

 

He looked directly at me. His eyes were wide as they did, surprised, and holding something…something else, something hidden among the many layers of doors and locks behind them, something I didn’t dare think about. A moment later a spotlight was turned on directly on top of me. I squinted my eyes.

 

“Well, hello there pretty! Why don’t you come up here?” I was too stunned to speak - my new muse and idol was talking directly to me! To  _ me _ ! 

 

A pair of hands grabbed me by my waist and lifted me from the ground. I squeaked in surprise, my feet suddenly touching the stage. I looked behind me to see Skull holding my back.

 

“Go on!” He pushed me forwards “Get your kiss, Tigress!”

 

I stumbled forwards, my foot catching on one of the lights on the stage. But just before I could fall, I found a pair of hands had grabbed mine and kept me balanced.

 

“You okay there? That could have been a nasty fall” My eyes were met by a wall of flesh; a toned stomach. I straightened myself, looking up the muscular body before me, traveling up a pair of strong pectorals that I would have absolutely used as comfortable pillows, some broad shoulders that I would have totally held on to, a strong jaw and sharp face I would have definitely loved to see carved into a marble statue, a couple of dark chocolate eyes that I would have adored to stare into for the rest of my life.

 

“I- yeah, I’m- I’m alright…” I squeaked nervously. He gave me a smile so bright it might as well have been the sun, or one of the spotlights on the top of the stage. It held the same unknown sentiment his eyes did some moments ago, something that made me feel a curious flutter inside my stomach, that gave a tug on the back of my mind, telling me I had to get closer so I could properly see it, identify it, and take it. 

 

“I’m glad” He guided me to the center of the stage, where he let go of my hand, stepping back and eyeing me fully. 

 

My cheeks blushed brightly, more than they already had, as I felt his gaze run me over fully, as well as the eyes of thousands of people, knowing they were all now judging and probably even criticizing me.

 

“Damn, would you look at that?” He spoke to the microphone with a playful and yet surprised smile “look at that! Isn’t she a beauty, folks? I mean, look at that dress! Whatcha say Holly? Pretty good-looking, isn’t it?”

 

I felt my face grow hotter still when I remembered what I was wearing. Damnit! Oh I was so going to kill Skull after this! The keytartist smiled from her place behind the keyboard.

 

“Certainly a beautiful dress, and not a cheap one definitely”

 

“I- I was told this’d be a classic violin concert…” I said shyly, rubbing my arm bashfully. Surely I couldn’t get any more blushed than I already was. 

 

“Really?” The smirk on his face seemed to grow just a bit wider “what’s your name, dear?”

 

“Lu- Lucy Carlyle” 

 

“That’s a beautiful name” He said a smile potent enough to light the whole theater, before he turned back to the crowd of people before us, speaking on the microphone once again “OUR LUCKY LADY OF TONIGHT IS MISS LUCY CARLYLE! Isn’t she a true beauty, folks? However, I feel like today we should do something even more special than just The Prince’s Kiss, since its our last concert of Crime of the Queen Tour! And you see, Miss Carlyle here has travelled from far in hopes of witnessing a beautiful violin concerto, only to find this humble band on its place. And as your benevolent and generous prince, I feel like she should get to hear that violin concerto she came for, shouldn’t she?”

 

The people from the audience all yelled in agreement. The singer looked at me with that wide smile of his that so much reminded me of a faraway sun, warm but distant. 

 

“You shall be granted your concert by decree of the Prince. Quill!” He moved himself to look at the violinist on the side of the stage “would you be so kind as to grace us with a magical waltz of yours so the Prince can grant this young lady her wish?” He said in the most charming way possible.

 

The redhead wasn’t amused or moved however.

 

“Tony, you know I haven’t played a classical piece in years and that-” A glare from the vocalist shut him up though, glaring back. He sighed a moment later, raising the black electric violin to his shoulder and placing it right under his chin “as you wish, your  _ Highness _ ”

 

There was a couple of drops of venom dripping from his voice as he said that, but I had no time to question myself about it before he began playing. The music was relatively slow, a sweet, dainty melody I was sure to have heard before, but I couldn’t really pinpoint it on my memory. It was also a little weird because of the electrical undertone of the violin, but it still made the music sound angelical. 

 

“Miss Carlyle,” The singer turned back to me and extended his hand at me “would you make this Prince the honor of dancing with him?”

 

After a few seconds of admiring his hand before me, I placed mine on his, which in comparison looked  _ tiny _ , like a mouse placing its paw on a wolf’s claw, and his long fingers wrapped around it. He pried me gently closer, and my mind screamed inside me as I felt the heat radiating from his sweating body. 

 

Then he began moving his feet beneath me, and, trying my best not to look down at my feet, I followed after him. It wasn’t too hard to keep my eyes up, his sharp face able to keep all my attention in it. Surprisingly I didn’t trip or step on his feet, not even once. He twirled me and pulled me back again, my chest almost touching his, the feeling of his huge hand on my hip causing the feeling of fluttering in my stomach to become a whole airport in rush hour.

 

But the dance was over too soon after it began, the violin coming to the last tunes. The singer, his smile holding a subtle sad hue, stopped dancing and let go of my hands, only to bow deeply before me. 

 

“LETS GET A GRAND ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR EXCELLENT VIOLINIST, QUILL KIPPS!” He hollered into the microphone. The audience cheered once more, and I limited myself to give them a little wave, feeling too awkward standing on the stage “I believe now that Miss Carlyle here has earned her kiss with that dance, hasn’t she?”

 

I was sure I looked just like a ripe tomato by now, and probably since a while back. 

 

His hand was suddenly back in mine and he pulled me closer. His strong arms wrapped around me in a safe embrace. His chest pressed against mine, a firm wall of refuge against the evil deeds of the world. His eyes stared into mine, once again allowing me to see that chain of doors and heavy locks that guarded his innermost thoughts and wishes, the keys to this secrets hidden from me. And his lips pressed against mine.

 

It was like a spark was abruptly lit inside me. I gasped softly against his soft, warm lips. They were so gentle and pleasant, and still I could feel their overwhelming power, the fierceness with which they could kiss me, threatening to make my knees buckle under me. I…I liked this. And I didn’t just like this, I  _ loved _ it. The kiss was kept chaste and simple, and I felt the sudden surge of need erupt inside me with that spark. Like a fire that risked burning me alive.

 

But like the dance, the kiss ended much too soon, with him pulling back with a shy blush tainting his cheeks. The people was once again cheering around us, but I barely noticed. I just wanted to get another taste of his lips. I needed to get another taste!

 

So with my hands on his shoulders I pulled him down once again and pressed my lips to his. He tensed for a moment, and I feared he would push me away, but instead he wrapped his arms around me once more. A hand caressed my back and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, standing on tiptoes to properly reach him. 

 

We had to pull back again from it though, because of the need of air. He gazed into my eyes and I into his, my sense of time numbed inside me as all I saw was the light of a reflector shining in them. All I could feel was a pleasant bubble on the pit of my stomach.

 

The next few minutes were a blur to me. From standing on top of the stage, with my new muse standing right in my arms, I next found myself sitting in Skull’s car, on the front seat, my hands on my lap, the smell of cigarette smoke on my nose as the street-lamps passed by us.

 

“So? You’re finally back from Limbo?” He asked with a teasing smirk.

 

“Wha…” I coughed and fanned my hand over my mouth “are you smoking?! I thought Octavian asked you not to!”

 

“His not here right now” He said dismissing “besides I need something calming, I’m too agitated” He raised the small, stinking cigarette from outside the window of the car and took a long inhale from it.

 

“Those things are disgusting” I grumbled. He turned to look at me, smugly and undisturbed, and let all the smoke into my face, making small hoops with it. I coughed and tried to fan all the smoke away. 

 

“Now those are some hoops William would be proud of” he chuckled, hanging the hand that held the cigarette out of the car’s window, the other one still holding the wheel.

 

“You’re disgusting!” 

 

“Oh Lu, you already know that” Skull smirked cheekily, then pointed to my feet “Anyways, good thing you came back to your senses! Now you can open that bag and find out what they gave you”

 

“bag…?” I looked down at my feet, finding a big, gym-style bag before them, a cursive writing saying ‘Villains and Kings’ on the front, plus the crown and rapier logo. I reached down for it and pulled it heavily on my lap “what’s this…?”

 

“They said something about ‘giving it to all those selected for the Prince’s Kiss’ or something along those lines”

 

I blinked confusedly for a moment before zipping the bag open. Inside, there were at least four CD’s of the band’s previous albums, two posters of the band, once again dressed terribly like in the concert, a hoodie with the band’s logo, and two photo books, filled with group photos of the band, of them in pairs, and of them alone. My face heated up greatly when I found many photos of the singer  _ (Anthony Lockwood, wasn’t it?) _ shirtless, in the same black, tight leather trousers he wore during the concert. 

 

A small paper lingered on the bottom of the bag, too tiny to be anything, with the sides ragged, as if it had been ripped off from a bigger piece of paper. I brought it out, frowning lightly. It didn’t seem to have anything written on it…until I turned it around. On the other side there was a small note, with a phone number scribbled there, and the words  _ ‘See you in another dream, Princess?’ _ . I don’t know if the blood drained from my face or if it drained from my body and came to my face, but either way, I almost felt lightheaded then.

 

When we got back to our apartment, I ran to my room without even taking something to eat, bag held tightly under my arm. I changed out of my dress and put on my new hoodie and some shorts, sat down at my desk, took out my supplies and sketchbook. I had a month of commissions to finish and an amazing surge of inspiration to work with.

 

Kicking my CD player back to life, I pushed in the CD of the concert I had just seen and got to work. The violin solo began as I started my first drawing. It was joined by the keyboard a few moments later, then the guitar and soon enough the drums. The tension of the song began to build, reminding me of that empty space in the stage.

 

“ _ Wait inside the darkness, the sign will soon come out”  _ The singer’s voice filled in the void in the song through the instrumental build up. I pictured the darkened stage.

 

A flushed smile grew on my lips.

 

_ “Heed my warning, there’s no coming back” _

 

I pictured him standing on that stage, microphone raised to those soft and warm lips.

 

_ “Sacrilege! Find your weapon and pledge an oath,” _

 

My Muse. My Idol. My Prince.

 

_ “FOR THE QUEEN-” _

 

“-HAS FALL AT LAST!” I roared along and began my first drawing on a month.

 

 

**————————**

_ Because one day I'll leave you _

_  A phantom to lead you in the summer _

_ To join the Black Parade _

**————————-**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- song "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance
> 
> \- Dark Night Demons Trilogy isn't a real trilogy of movies (in case anyone was curious)
> 
> -'Villains and Kings' name comes from fantasynamegenerator.com
> 
> -I can't write song lyrics for the life of me so the lyrics of the songs aren't that good


	2. Caroline (B-Side)

I looked to the pile of finished works and drawings that laid before me with a proud smile. From simple commissions, to requests, portraits, and comics I professionally worked as an illustrator in. All the works from last month and this one done in three weeks and a half. It had taken me everyday to do it, from the early hours of the morning to the latest hours of the night, and sometimes even complete nights.

 

Of course it also took me to the extremes of raiding the cupboards of the kitchen from all traces of coffee and caffeinated drinks, and even some late nights runs to the closest convenience stores. The ones that remained open all night long of course.

 

Usually I would ask Skull to go for me, so I could continue working, but he soundly refused to make anything that interrupted his ‘nightly beauty sleep’, and since I have no driving license and no car, I had to make my own runs to the store. Still, I managed fine.

 

I walked out of my room, still smiling proudly, already thinking of how I’d go to have them readied and sent to their respective commissioners when the front door of the apartment opened and the smell of car grease and motor oil overwhelmed my nose.

 

“Ugh, what an exhausting day” Skull grunted as he walked inside, closing the door after himself. He walked into the kitchen, smell wafting off from and after him as he took out a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. Normal people would complain about the smell and demand a window was opened, but when it became what you were welcomed home with everyday for the last six years, you learned to love and accept that car oil, grease and burnt plastic weren’t the worse things you could encounter. Stained clothes, surfaces, furniture? Still intact, just needed some decent scrubbing and they’d be as good as new. The smell has seeped into something? Soak it in clothes’ softener and it’d be smelling of flowers for hours. 

 

“That bad?” I drank my fifth cup of juice of the day.

 

“Had to change at least seven cars’ tires, repair two radiators, replace a car’s whole set of pistons and adjust the counterweights of a crankshaft” He rubbed the side of his neck, groaning softly at the sore muscles. I do suppose that no matter how much time you have been doing an activity, your body never fully gets used to the strain of it. And working as a car mechanic obviously brought the body lots of strain, even after ten years of doing so.

 

“Well, you got through the day at least” 

 

He gave me a tired, yet vibrant smile “I always do, Lu” 

 

I smiled back at him, as brightly as he smiled at me. It was hard not to return one of his lively smiles and smirks when he offered you one. At least I had never been able to resist so. 

 

Skull and I met back when we were kids, on an unlucky morning in which I lost sight of my sister Mary while we walked to school. While trying to find sign of her, I had been surrounded by a group of older kids who wanted to take my things away. As a four-year-old I wouldn’t have been able to defend myself from them even if I tried, back then I had been too scrawny and weak to throw an actual fist against someone, but I had been too scared to try. Still, I didn’t have to because before I was actually forced to give them any of my belongings, a lonesome kid with longish, terribly curly black hair and a face so dirty he seemed to have come out from the sewers, punched his way through the group of kids and demanded they leave me alone or he would do more than leave them all with a simple black eye. 

 

After that we began to meet every day before and after school. I would probably be lying if I said I didn’t do it partially because I feared some other kids would try the same on me and I trusted he would defend me again, but eventually I did began to meet with him because I found his company to be quite nice.

 

Even if he could be an ass most of the time. He was still much more nicer than most of the guys I knew, so I wasn’t skeptical to spend all the time I could with my best friend in the world.

 

“Right, right, don’t flatter yourself” I patted his shoulder, trying not to get any sweat on me. 

 

He grinned vainly and flexed his strong, muscular arm in front of me “oh Lucy, have you  _ seen _ me? of course I flatter myself!” I blushed brightly.

 

But just as we had been in the middle of our junior high years, Skull was pulled out of school by his family so he could help with their financial situation, so they put him to work. It took him a little while to get used to it, having to wake up earlier in the morning, and all the heavy lifting and moving of materials, but he eventually got accustomed to his new job as a mechanical workshop assistant. Of course, doing such hard work brought more than just strains, it also brought on many high sides, like how his body had toned on all the right places.

 

“Keep that bunny for your boyfriend, I don’t need to see it right now” 

 

“Awwh, but its so happy to see you! Come on, pet it”

 

“No! I’m not petting anything!” He waved his arm closer to me, showing me the strong muscle under his heated skin. I blushed brighter still; even the slightest sight of his toned body had always made me flushed, but I would never admit that outloud to him. He just always had that effect on me.

 

“Come on Lu, you know it won’t go away until you pet it” He cooed derisively, leaning closer to me.

 

“No! Just go get a bath, you stink of whatever corrosive was inside that radiator!” I scrunched up my nose and tried to push him away.

 

“Not until you pet the bunny!” He smirked dazzlingly and only leant closer. Limiting myself to glare at him for a few seconds, I soon raised my hand to touch his bicep and pet it gently, trying to fight back the blood that raised to my cheeks with the touch “Well, was it that hard?”

 

“Don’t bully me” I grumbled, turning away from him. He just laughed at my ‘I’m crossed at you’ attempts.

 

“So? Did you finish or not?”

 

“What?”

 

“Your works, did you finished them or not?”

 

“Oh- yes! I did, I finally did!” I walked out of the kitchen with him trailing behind me, making our way to the living room. I dropped on the couch with my glass of juice still in hand and brought my knees to my chest “I will send them tomorrow morning and my job will be done! I can relax until the next set of commissions arrive!”

 

“Does this mean you’ll finally be seeing him?” He asked from the armchair beside the couch. The living room was of course bigger than the kitchen, with a couch and two armchairs plus a little coffee table. There were some paintings of mine  _ (some of the actual good ones) _ hanging, as well as a TV on the wall before the couch which we regularly used, me to watch my American crime and adventures series and Skull to watch those cutesy Korean chick-flick series and Mexican dramas he, for some reason, finds so interesting. Personally I didn’t see the appeal of seeing so many stupid girls fall in love with the jerk-who’s-actually-a-sweetheart-with-those-he-loves guy and flirt ridiculously obvious with them, or failed couples trying to murder each other’s infinite lists of ex’s and family members. 

 

I frowned, sipping my juice “what do you mean?”

 

“Have you two discussed anything yet?”

 

My frown only continued deepening “who are you talking about?”

 

He snorted horse-like and laughed, like I’d just told him a joke “Duh, who do you think I’m talking about?”

I shrugged.

 

He gave me a deadpan stare, which then turned into a fully offended glare. He sputtered, trying to form words but only making incoherent sounds and taking deep but ragged breaths. He looked at me like I had suddenly committed a horrendous crime, some atrocious felony I would never be forgiven for no matter how much I pleaded. But by his standards, that could be anything.

 

“You mean to tell me…” He said, voice thin and words carefully chosen “that you’ve had the phone number…of one of the hottest,  _ sexiest _ man alive…for almost four weeks now…and you haven’t sent him a single text?!”

 

“Who do you mean?”

 

“What do  _ you _ mean ‘who do you mean’?! Him! The Prince! Anthony Lockwood, the guy who’s band’s concert I took you to see just four weeks ago and who you danced with in front of more than five thousand people and who you  _ kissed _ on the stage! Not once, but  _ twice _ ! Kissed twice! Ring any bells, Peaches?!”

 

I blushed brightly, pressing the memories of that night back into where I stored them “Wha- I forgot! I’ve had lots of work to do!”

 

“That doesn’t stop you from taking your phone, adding the number you were given and typing ‘oh hey! Hi, I’m the girl from your concert, the one you kissed in front of everyone, remember? That’s me, you gave me your number along a little note, wanna go out?’”

 

“I- I can’t say that!” My cheeks flushed even more in embarrassment.

 

“Its better than nothing! Send him a text!”

 

“No! I can’t say that! And I can’t just send a text to a-  _ rockstar _ !” I exclaimed, my hands gesturing wildly. 

 

“Yes you can! You can and will!” His phone vibrated inside his jeans and he made a show of angrily bringing it out from his back pocket and read whatever it was he just received. Then he stood up from the armchair and glared at me again “Now if you’ll excuse me, Peaches, I have to get a bath because I will be going out on a date with my boyfriend, to who I do had the courage to ask out as many times as was necessary to get him to date me! And when I come out of the shower you better have written that text and sent it!” 

 

“Stop calling me ‘Peaches’!”

 

He marched his way to his room down the hall, leaving me alone on the living room to my own conflicting thoughts. 

 

It wasn’t true I had forgotten I had the number. I had done anything but forgotten. The tiny note with the number and the phrase  _ ‘See you in another dream, Princess?’ _ was currently pinned on my note-board inside my room, in front of my work desk. If I hadn’t been as far behind my work schedule as I was I would have probably gone crazy; the tiny scrap of paper seemed to be staring at me, glaring at me the whole time: when I worked, when I slept, when I was about my room doing anything, it seemed to be constantly telling - asking, tempting, begging - me to reach for it and look into the number.

 

But I hadn’t. In all these weeks, for more that I had felt that stupid curiosity to take the number and dial it, or send it a text, I hadn’t done it. It felt so strange to think that that unattainable figure, that almighty deity, that dream-like man was actually just a call away, just a text away from me. How could I stand before him and not burn out at his smoldering gaze? 

 

That night, at that concert, I was sure I would burn alive - all the emotionally charged music from the band members, the vocalist’s intense singing, the lyric’s that seemed to be so full of secret meanings I had yet to discover and analyze and make my own. Oh how I longed to be able to stand before all that once more to let it fill me with all those sensations and messages!

 

But I couldn’t. That concert had been the last one of their tour Crime of the Queen  _ (which’s songs I had by now learned by heart) _ and it wouldn’t be at least another year till they toured again, and then they might not make a concert here in London again, and I don’t have remotely the necessary money to travel anywhere and purchase a ticket to a place nearly as good as the one Skull’s boyfriend had gotten us. I was doomed never to see my idol in person again.

 

Skull finished his bath and left for his date around an hour later, and of course I still hadn’t sent any message. I couldn’t. If that was his actual phone number  _ (which I highly doubted it was) _ I didn’t wish to be put in ridicule or to make myself seem like some sort of highly desperate girl. Because I’m not. I wasn’t desperate for attention, or for a boyfriend. I am a independent woman who could provide for herself just well, no need of a big, strong and stubborn man in my life.

 

Ignoring the small note still hanging from my board, I went to sleep that night with a head full of unnecessary thoughts and an empty heart. Strangely, that feeling reminded me of home. Or my family’s house more like, since I never actually thought of it as my home - Mam was a woman of loose attention to her kids unless they had somehow gotten in trouble, my father had died when I was young and even before that he had never really been one to care for his children, and my sisters, well, most of them kept to themselves and their lives nowadays. Back when I lived with them, before leaving for college, I would always find myself with a headful of thoughts and an emptiness in my core. I was certainly too young to understand back then what this meant to me, but as I grew up, the meanings of my own confused feelings awakened in the back of my mind. 

 

College was helpful to avoid those sort of feelings, keeping my head too busy to become bored and too organized to become overwhelmed, and my heart too excited to be void. Each experience there was enriching for me and I wanted all I could get, all to the very last drop, and I made sure to milk my opportunities dry. But of course my time in college was eventually over, and for a moment I thought I’d go back to that sedentary and tiring mind state and heartache, but the search and finding of a job gave me another shot of that excitement. 

 

It was refreshing to feel that bubbling anticipation with each new commission, request and work I got, my brain in a constant overdrive of creativity and my heart full of content for my work. I was sincerely happy with the road my life had taken.

 

But now, a little more than two years later, my mind and my heart found that the excitement and elation that new projects brought me was now insufficient to me. It no longer brought the same feelings of anticipation it had done before, and it left me feeling thoughtful and empty-hearted once again, even with the resurge of inspiration I had from the concert of Villains and Kings.

 

And I had no idea how to bring the thrill of life back into me.

 

I tossed on my bed restlessly, the swarm of meaningless thoughts and the heaviness of my empty heart preventing me from laying still. I wondered for a moment if this was somewhat how Skull’s boyfriend felt when they began to date two years ago.

 

Having met by chance of fate, and infatuating him with his natural, alluringly good looks and god knows what else, Skull began dating the heir of one of the city’s most powerful families, an inborn noble and schooled socialite through and through. Yet, a sweet and doting guy, it took them almost no time to get their relationship advancing steadily  _ (if perhaps a little too fast, but by Skull’s standards, sex on the fourth date was a real feat of self-restraint and moderation) _ . I had personally been worried that the guy would only be with my friend because of some ‘rich boy fancy’, and in case it was, I was prepared to send him back to his fancy estate with the rest of his money-spoiling family. It proved to be needless, of course.

 

As I thought about them - how surprisingly stable their relationship was, how they barely had any problem between them, how they always found a way to solve what little altercations they did have - I wondered if, perhaps, I could achieve something like that. If perhaps that was what I needed. If perhaps, only perhaps, I would be able to have something like that with… _ him _ .

 

I pushed the thought out of my mind. Of course I couldn’t. 

 

What was I thinking, of course I couldn’t, he was a rockstar, a celebrity, an idol. He was everything I could only ever hope of being, everything I would only ever dream of achieving. 

 

I just couldn’t speak to him.

 

——

 

The next morning’s sun had risen from the other side of the earth and slowly above the buildings of London faster than I noticed. Honestly, it was a little surprising, seeing as I had barely managed to stick my eyes closed for more than a couple of seconds. With a couple of annoyed groans, a distressingly full mind and a bitterly empty soul, I rose from my crumpled bed.

 

Outside my room was a strong scent of beer, along the sound of snoring coming from Skull’s room. I scratched the back of my head, yawning exhaustedly, the soft tingle of the alcohol’s smell dancing over my tastebuds, even though I hadn’t drank any. A single green bottle stood unperturbed at the side of my friend’s bedroom door, still with a little booze in it. Octavian was here then.

 

I walked away from the door, towards the kitchen, leaving the bottle where it was. Two years back I would have thrown away that to the vial trash as soon as I saw it, but after having had the misfortune of walking in on them on a morning such as this one, Skull and I had developed a small system to avoid that sort of mistake happening again. After all, seeing my friend naked for art proposes was one thing, but to see him naked with his boyfriend after a date-night was an entire other thing. So, whenever Octavian was staying over with him, they’d leave a bottle standing outside the room so I wouldn’t barge in on them. 

 

The mob of senseless thoughts and images in my head kept swimming around in there as I made myself a cup of tea, in hopes that this would help me still them. It would have probably worked, had they not ganged up on me and took form on their own. A slow process, but they cleared and cleaned inside me, showing me with simplicity what they intended to say and what I kept denying.

 

The note on my board. The number was there, at my hand’s reach, just waiting for me.  _ He _ was there. Just on the other side of a screen.

 

Could I maybe…could I actually have a chance? 

 

I looked down at my phone, staring into the black screen. All I had to do was dial down the number and send him text. Just a text. Any text. Probably even a simple ‘hello’ would do. Maybe even ask how he’d been doing! 

 

So, I ran back to my room, taking the note from the board. My hands shook anxiously, the paper slip quivering in my hold. God, if Skull could see me, he’d never let me live this down. I wrote down the number, saving it simply as  _ ‘Anthony Lockwood, Prince’ _ .

 

Now. What to say?

 

My brain went into overdrive, looking and searching for something that would be appropriate. What was I going to say to him? I could still go with that ‘hello’, but, would it be enough? Would it do with just that? 

 

By the time I finally settled for something, the door of Skull’s room had opened and I could hear the sound of voices coming from the living room, but I paid them no attention. No, Skull and Octavian could wait. Breakfast could wait. The world outside my apartment could wait until later, but this couldn’t. 

 

The text was sent. But I needed to know. I needed to see his response. 

 

_**————————** _

_ Caroline, you keep me up at night _

_ You're the only one I wanna do _

_ Caroline, please take me home tonight _

_ Tell your friend there's just no room for two _

_ 'Cause you're the only one I wanna do _

_ ———————— _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Song ‘Caroline (B-side)’ by All Time Low  
> \- I don’t actually know how a graphic designer’s job works so please bear with me


End file.
